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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — a position
  4. ball — a dance
  5. saw — the tool
  6. roll — a list
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. mug — a face
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. mug — to rob
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. ball — a great time
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. ground — crushed
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. race — a contest
  22. mug — a cup
  23. race — the arms race
  24. ground — the earth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com